Thu, Feb 7, 2013 at 7:06pm

ISLANDERS GET TIM THOMAS

The New York Islanders acquired goaltender Tim Thomas from the Boston Bruins for a conditional second-round draft pick in 2014 or 2015.

What does it give the New York Islanders
This is a strange deal, but there is method to the Islanders' madness here. First of all, adding the $5 million salary-cap hit for Thomas helps the team stay above the cap floor. Secondly, it gives GM Garth Snow another goaltending option for next season, despite the fact Thomas becomes an unrestricted free agent this July. Perhaps Snow can convince Thomas to join his squad for next year, which would help (since No. 1 goaltender {P Evgeni Nabokov} is also a potential unrestricted free agent. Lastly, Snow may be able to deal Thomas's rights before this year's trading deadline. All told, it's a bizarre and somewhat risky move by Snow.

What does it give the Boston Bruins
The Bruins are happy to get rid of a major headache, as Thomas was no longer in the team's plans after becoming a big distraction last season. They get rid of a $5 million cap hit, which they may be able to use elsewhere this year. The Bruins also land a potential second rounder, though there is no guarantee that they'll ever receive it. That will depend on Thomas and his future plans (and whether or not his plans include the Islanders). The bottom line for Boston here is moving on from the Tim Thomas era, which should make current starting netminder {P Tuukka Rask} even more comfortable after this move.

Fantasy impact
Thomas is likely to play again in 2013-14, and the Islanders could be the right fit. However, he will likely need to be convinced to go play on Long Island. Overall, Thomas still has a little fantasy value but it's diminishing. The Islanders are an improving team, so Thomas should be viewed as a fantasy super sleeper for 2013-14 (since he may choose to go the unrestricted free agent route instead).